Fire-escape.



No. 7|3,a|5. Pamted uw. la. |902.

H. TExTon.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application led July 31, 1901.) (No Model.) y 3 Sheets--Sheet I.

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Patented Nov. I8, |902. H. TEXTOR.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Application filed July 31, 1901.)

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Maen? @wmf No. 7|3,8l5. Patented Nov. I8. |902.

H. TEXTUR.

FIRE ESCAPE. (Application led July 81, 1901.) (In Model.) 3 Sheets-,Sheet 3.

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HERMAN TEXTOR, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

'FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,815, dated November 18, 1902.

Application led J'uly 3l, 1901.

T0 ir/ZZ whcnt it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN TEXTOR, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, county of I-Iamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in tire-escapes, and has for its object to provide a fire-escape which will consist of two drums with suitable hand-wheels connected therewith by which they can be rotated and brake appliances concealed in suitable receptacles underneath the window upon the interior of the room. Upon one of the drums are adapted to be wound a steelcable ladder and upon the other drum a single cable, which is to be used for lowering children to the ground or in raising fire apparatus-such as a ladder, hose, dro.

With these ends in View this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l represents an outside View of a portion of a building', showing my apparatus in its operative position; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the drums; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the wall of the building, showing my apparatus in its operative position; Fig. et, an elevation of the end of the wire cable, showing two snap-hooks attached to the same; Fig. 5, a similar view to Fig. a, showing two exercising rings attached to the end of the single cable; Fig. 6, a cross-section of the drum, showing one of the hand-wheels in elevation; Fig. 7, a belt which is adapted to be placed around a child to which the snaphooks shown in Fig. 4 can be attached for lowering a child from the window; Fig. 8, a crosssection of the drum, showing a greater number of strengthening-rods used; Fig. 9, a horizontal section through a wall of a building, showing my apparatus in its operative position; Fig. lO, an enlarged View of a por- Serial No. 70,399. (No model.)

tion of a steel ladder, showing the construction of the saine; Fig. 1l, a side elevation of the bracket adapted to be attached to the ceiling of the room; and Fig. l2, a vertical section through a portion of the ladder, showing the construction of the same.

In the drawings, A represents drums, which are journaled in suitable bearings arranged upon the interior of the room underneath the window. These drums are composed of a wooden cylinder A', through which a shaft A2 extends, which shaft is secured to a ange A3 at each end. Bolts A4 pass from one flange to the other and lie within grooves formed longitudinally of the wooden cylinder A'. This cylinder may or may not be covered with sheet metal or other tire-proof material. To each of the drums A and B are secured handwheels O, by which the drums may be rotated. The drum A is made considerably wider than the drum B, and upon this drum is adapted to be wound the steel-cable ladder D. This ladder may be constructed in any suitable manner; but I prefer the construction shown in detail in Figs. lO and l2. This consists in providing theT-shaped jointsD,Wliich are secured upon the Wire cable D2 by means of the pin 0r screw D3, which passes through the T-shaped joints and the wire cable. The rungs D4 of the ladder are tubular and screw-threaded at each end and adapted to be threaded within the T-shaped joints B. These rungs may be covered with rubber for the purpose of not injuring the hands when used for exercising, as will be hereinafter described. Upon the other drum B adapted to be Wound a single wirecable E, having attached to the free end of the saine a ring E, to which ring may be attached, by means of snap-hooks, differ ent appliances, as shown in Figs. 4 and In Fig. 4 I have shown two short lengths of cable attached to the ring E, upon the end of each of which are secured the snap-hooks E2, which of course may be snapped Within staples E3, secured to an adjustable belt E, which belt may be attached around the body of a child for the purpose of lowering the child out of a Window in case of iire.

Vhen the lever D and the Wire cable E are wou nd entirely upon the drum they are adapted to be concealed Within a casing F, located beneath the window. This casing is in the IOO form of a box, having the two-part lid F over the top of the same and the hinged portion F2 upon the front of the box. The upper edge of this hinged front F2 is adapted to lie within a groove F3, formed upon the under side of the lid F'. Thus when the front F2 is raised and the lid is closed down upon the same, this groove will hold the front up in normal position. The receptacle thus formed can then be utilized as a window-seat by being covered with a cushion, and it is only necessary to quickly gain access to the apparatus to raise the lid F, which will allow the front F2 to drop simultaneously. To the under side of the lid F are secured bearings in which are journaled idle rollers G, which when the lid is raised will lie above the window-sill, and in throwing the ladder D and the cable E out of the window to lower the same this ladder and cable will pass over the rollers G, and thus not come in contact with the window-sill. Upon the outside of the wall of the building and underneath the Window I provide a metal, framework H, which carries bearings in which are journaled idle rollers H and H2, over which the ladder and the cable are adapted to pass. The roller H2 will thus hold the ladder and the cable at a convenient distance from the wall of the building. Attached to this framework H is a grating or platform H3 for the purpose of supporting the people who are descending by means of 'the ladder.

Secured to each of the drums are ratchetwheels I, which are adapted to be engaged by a pivoted pawl I. This pawl has a weight l2 formed upon the opposite end to the nose thereof, which weight is for the purpose of holding the nose of the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet-teeth, which will allow the ladder to descend of its own weight. The purpose of the ratchet-wheel and pawl is for holding the drums against retrograde motion when raising ire apparatus by means of the cable or in reeling the same and the ladder.

In lowering children from the Window by means of the cable E it is desirable to have some form of brake mechanism to control the speed by which they will be lowered. For this purpose I provide grooved brake-wheels J, secured to and adapted to be revolved with each of the drums A and B, and over these brake-wheels are adapted to pass flexible metal straps J, one end of which is secured rigidly to the framework or floor, and the other end is secured to a foot-lever J2. When the foot-lever J2 is pressed downward, the

straps J will be brought into frictional contact with the brake-wheels J, and thus retard the movement of the drum and thereby the cable or ladder.

In Fig. 3 I have shown in dotted lines how an extra roller K2 could be secured to the ceiling or wall and the ladder passed over this roller and the roller K', and thus form a hori- Zontal ladder for the purpose of exercising. The hooks D5 upon the end of the ladder are also for the purpose of securing iu rings or staples secured to the pavement, which will thus hold the ladder stationary and keep it from swinging as persons are descending thereon.

The advantage of my invention is that this apparatus when in its normal position will not disfigure the building, but the receptacle will help to furnish the same, as it can be made in the form of a neat andattractive window-seat, but will be readily accessible in case of fire, and by means of the steel ladder and cable persons are enabled to descend and ascend from and to a burning room, and it is possible to lower children from the window or raise fire apparatus to the room by means of the cable. And a further advantage of my invention is that it can be made useful as a home gymnasium, or it can be used for practice, so as to enable persons, especially women and children, to become so expert that they will feel no timidity in descending from the building by ladder in case of re. This is of great advantage, as this practicing can be all done in private, and they would thus gain experience that they would not gain if it depended upon their practicing in public.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as numerous modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- In a fire-escape, a drum, a flexible ladder attached to the drum, suitable housings for the drum, a lid for the housing having a central joint, rollers, over which the flexible ladder rides, journaled to the lid to project above the edge of the central joint when the lid is opened as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afxed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN TEXTOR.

Witnesses:

PREsooTT SMITH, JOHN B. KNOX.

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